BirthNotes

Kristin Vasko

5.0 (3)
Personal Journals
Updated Weekly

BirthNotes is a podcast where women share their real, raw, and transformative birth stories and the conversations that follow them. Hosted by birth and postpartum doula Kristin, each episode explores hospital births, home births, unexpected complications, and empowering experiences. Through honest conversations with mothers and experts, Birth Notes dives into pregnancy, birth, postpartum, motherhood, and women's health.

Jul 16

Home Birth in Panama: Sweetu on Birth Abroad & Building a Village

What does it look like to choose a home birth in a new country, far from family and familiar healthcare? In this episode of BirthNotes, Sweetu shares her incredible journey from Florida to rural Panama, where she and her husband built a farm, welcomed their first child through a peaceful home birth, and ultimately created a motherhood community for other women navigating pregnancy, birth, and postpartum abroad. Sweetu opens up about trusting her instincts when hospital care didn't align with her values, preparing for labor through education, using traditional vetiver root compresses during labor, and finding confidence in her body's ability to give birth. She also shares how her postpartum experience inspired her to help build a village for mothers living far from family and traditional support systems. Whether you're considering home birth, planning on giving birth abroad, or simply love hearing empowering birth stories, this conversation is a beautiful reminder that every mother deserves informed choices, supportive care, and a community she can lean on. In This Episode Sweetu's journey from Florida to rural PanamaChoosing home birth after hospital care didn't feel alignedPreparing for labor through education and intuitionA peaceful five-hour first birthTraditional vetiver root warm compresses during laborRecovering postpartum while living abroadCreating a motherhood collective in PanamaWhy every mother deserves a village Resources Mother's Journal: Capture your own motherhood journey with guided reflections and keepsake prompts. Share Your Birth Story on BirthNotes: Have a story you'd love to share? I'd love to hear from you. Apply Here! Home Birth in Panama Companion Guide: Explore Sweetu's inspiring birth story, learn about the traditional use of vetiver during labor, and discover the lessons she carried into postpartum. Connect with Sweetu Shah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desidoula/ If this episode resonated with you, follow BirthNotes and leave a rating or review. Your support helps more mothers discover real birth stories and honest conversations about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and motherhood. Because every birth has a story worth remembering.
Jul 2

6 VBACs After a C-Section: Naomi's 20-Year Journey to Her Dream Home Birth

Naomi Mitchell shares her remarkable 20-year journey from an unexpected C-section to six successful vaginal births after cesarean (VBACs) and the home birth she'd always dreamed of. In this episode, she opens up about navigating a healthcare system with limited VBAC support, changing providers, learning to advocate for herself, and discovering the difference a supportive midwife can make during labor and birth. Naomi also shares how her own experiences led her to become a birth doula and La Leche League Leader in South Africa, where she now supports families as a birth doula through pregnancy, labor, birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum. Together, we discuss home birth after cesarean, finding a VBAC-supportive care provider, and why it's never too late to have the birth experience you've hoped for. Whether you're preparing for a VBAC, considering a home birth after a C-section, or looking for encouragement after a difficult birth, this conversation offers honest insight, practical wisdom, and hope for the road ahead. In This Episode Naomi's unexpected C-section and first birth experience Her journey through six VBACs over 20 years Achieving the home birth she'd always dreamed of Navigating VBAC care in South Africa Finding a supportive midwife and care provider Becoming a birth doula after her own birth experiences Breastfeeding challenges and becoming a La Leche League Leader Advice for mothers pursuing a VBAC or healing after a difficult birth Resources Share your birth story on BirthNotes: Guest Application Link Connect with Naomi and follow her birth work and stories: Naomi's Facebook Link Learn more about La Leche League and find breastfeeding support near you: https://llli.org If you enjoyed this episode, follow BirthNotes and leave a rating or review. It helps more mothers discover real birth stories and honest conversations about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and motherhood.
Jun 19

How Chronic Illness Led Me to Birth Work | The Story Behind BirthNotes

This week, it's just me. Before BirthNotes, before doula work, and before supporting families through pregnancy and postpartum, there was chronic illness, unanswered questions, and a search for healing. In this episode, I'm sharing how a functional medicine doctor and home birth midwife changed the course of my life, how I found my way into birth work, and why I felt called to create BirthNotes. I also share the story of supporting my first birth, becoming a certified birth and postpartum doula, stepping away during the pandemic, and the vision behind this podcast. In This Episode My chronic illness journey The practitioner who changed how I understood the body Supporting my first home birth Becoming a certified birth and postpartum doula Building a doula practice in Charlotte Why I stepped away from birth work The story behind BirthNotes Resources & Links Apply to be a guest: Here The Refining: A Mother's Journal: Here Instagram: https://instagram.com/birthnotespodcast Substack: https://birthnotespod.substack.com If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show and share it with a friend who loves birth stories, motherhood, and women's health conversations.
May 22

Emergency C-Section Story | Amber on Birth Trauma, Grief & Healing

Amber came into her birth with a plan. She left with an emergency C-section and a tangle of grief, fear, and joy she needed time to sit with. In this episode, Kristin sits down with therapist and mother Amber to talk about what it was like to give birth at the height of COVID restrictions, navigate an emergency intervention she never saw coming, and carry the quiet weight of a birth story that looked nothing like she'd hoped. Amber also shares how that experience shaped the way she now shows up for mothers as a mental health therapist working with the perinatal population. This one is honest, emotional, and deeply validating for any mother who has ever mourned the birth she didn't get to have. In this episode: Giving birth during COVID restrictions and what that isolation actually felt likeEmergency C-section and navigating fear in real timeThe grief of a birth experience that didn't go as plannedPostpartum anxiety, depression, and what recovery really looked likeThe pressure mothers put on themselves to feel okayHow Amber's own story changed the way she supports women todayResources: Read the companion Substack essayExplore The Refining: A Mother's JournalApply to be a guest on BirthNotesFollow BirthNotes on Instagram If you're struggling with postpartum anxiety, depression, or birth trauma, finding a perinatal mental health therapist is a good place to start: psychologytoday.com/us/therapists
Apr 23

Home Birth After a Hospital Birth | Morgan's Calm & Empowering Birth Story

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Morgan as she shares her full journey into motherhood, from an unplanned pregnancy and unexpected gender disappointment, to a hospital birth that left her doubting her body, to a redemptive home birth with her daughter, Evelyn, that changed everything. This one is for every mother who has ever left a birth feeling like she failed. You didn’t. Your body already knew. What she reached for: Earthley Postpartum Tincture Used to support postpartum recovery, including emotional shifts, cramping, and overall healing. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Morgan’s most recommended book for birth preparation. Her tip: start with Part 2 to understand the physiology of birth and how to work with your body. The Refining: A Mother’s Journal A guided heirloom journal designed to help mothers process, reflect, and document both the messy and meaningful moments of becoming. Morgan’s Favorite Things to Have for Mastitis After experiencing mastitis multiple times postpartum, Morgan developed an at-home approach that helped her manage symptoms early. We’ve put together a complete guide with everything she shared. Morgan and Kristin are not medical professionals. These are tools that worked for her experience. Always consult your care provider if symptoms worsen or you need additional support.
Apr 9

Precipitous Labor: Morgann's Two-Hour Birth Story & Accidental Home Birth

What happens when your entire labor lasts just two hours? In this first episode of BirthNotes, Morgann, a mom of five, shares the story of her second birth, the arrival of her daughter Dillan eight years ago, during a precipitous labor that moved faster than anyone expected. What began as a planned hospital birth quickly turned into an unexpected home birth, reminding us just how powerful and instinctual the birthing body can be. As both Morgann’s doula and her grade-school best friend, this story is especially meaningful to me. Together we talk about what it means to trust your body when there isn’t time to overthink, how the fetal ejection reflex can take over, and why birth can sometimes look loud, primal, emotional, and completely different than what we imagine. This episode is a reminder that birth doesn't have to look perfect to be powerful. Sometimes it looks like deep breathing, unexpected laughter, primal sounds, and complete surrender to the moment. In this episode, we talk about: • What a precipitous (fast) birth is • Morgann’s unexpected home birth after planning a hospital delivery • Trusting your body during intense labor • The fetal ejection reflex • Why it’s normal to be loud, primal, and fully in the experience • The importance of having a flexible birth plan Resources Morgann loved + tools mentioned in this episode: • J Breathing technique – Morgann’s favorite breathing method for staying grounded during intense contractions • Horse lips breathing – a simple lip flutter technique often used in labor to help release tension • The Guided Mother’s Journal – a prompted journal to help you reflect on and document your motherhood journey • Apply to be a BirthNotes guest – share your own birth story on a future episode • BirthNotes reflections on Substack – deeper written reflections on the themes from each episode Want the written reflection from this episode? Instead of a traditional transcript, I share a written companion reflection for each episode on my Substack, where I explore the deeper themes from these birth stories and the emotional transformation that often follows birth. Every birth changes a woman. Every story deserves to be heard.
Season 1 Trailer

Welcome to BirthNotes | Podcast Trailer

Welcome to BirthNotes, a podcast where women share their real birth stories. The raw, the emotional, the unexpected, and the deeply transformative moments that shape the journey into motherhood. After years of supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as a birth and postpartum doula, I saw how every birth carries more than just a medical outcome. Each story holds growth, fear, strength, and transformation in ways we don't always talk about. This podcast is a space for honest conversations about birth in all forms. Hospital births, home births, smooth experiences, complicated ones, and everything in between. Because while every story is different, the emotional journey often connects us in powerful ways. If you love birth stories in their most real, messy, and transformative form, you're in the right place. And if you have a birth story you'd like to share, you can apply to be a guest here. New episodes coming soon.

Trailer

Welcome to BirthNotes | Podcast Trailer

Welcome to BirthNotes, a podcast where women share their real birth stories. The raw, the emotional, the unexpected, and the deeply transformative moments that shape the journey into motherhood. After years of supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as a birth and postpartum doula, I saw how every birth carries more than just a medical outcome. Each story holds growth, fear, strength, and transformation in ways we don't always talk about. This podcast is a space for honest conversations about birth in all forms. Hospital births, home births, smooth experiences, complicated ones, and everything in between. Because while every story is different, the emotional journey often connects us in powerful ways. If you love birth stories in their most real, messy, and transformative form, you're in the right place. And if you have a birth story you'd like to share, you can apply to be a guest here. New episodes coming soon.

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

Beautiful Listen

Jun 20

CrisDianne

Beautifully done. The host creates a warm, welcoming space for every story.

BirthNotes is a podcast where women share their real, raw, and transformative birth stories and the conversations that follow them. Hosted by birth and postpartum doula Kristin, each episode explores hospital births, home births, unexpected complications, and empowering experiences. Through honest conversations with mothers and experts, Birth Notes dives into pregnancy, birth, postpartum, motherhood, and women's health.

Creator

Kristin Vasko
Years Active

2026
Episodes

7
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Kristin Vasko
Show Website

BirthNotes